​What is Showmanship?

Showmanship is a youth competition, typically organized by 4-H, FFA, or ARBA. It is, put simply, a complete health check in which the competitor must carefully and deliberately check each part of the body in a specific order, while explaining to the judge what they are checking for. The competitor must then give judging comments on their rabbit, and then answer knowledge questions. Showmanship is a very competitive 'sport', and it takes years to master.

Competitors must be dressed smartly and sensibly, with no jewelry or makeup, and must wear long sleeves for safety reasons. Showmanship is usually divided into groups based on age and experience. The usual groups are Clover or Peewee (5-8 years old), Beginner, Novice, and Advanced. In some counties, the top 3 of each group have the option of moving up to the next age level. This varies in different shows, clubs, and counties.

​Showmanship is sooooooooo much fun. It's a great experience, a time for you and your rabbit to work together, and it's SUCH a fun competition because although it is hard to win, nobody is ever 'finished', and there is always more to learn. I have been doing Showmanship since I was eight years old, and I STILL love doing it! Every year, I always have a few new kids in my 4-H rabbit project who say at the beginning of the year that they don't want to do Showmanship and that it 'isn't their thing'. Fast forward to a few months later and they are addicted - it's literally THAT much fun!!

Showmanship is not judged on the breed, quality, behavior, or condition of the rabbit. That means you could go up with a mixed breed rescue rabbit and still have a shot at winning. However, it helps to have a calm, well-behaved rabbit that will allow you to check its whole body for disease and injury. Showmanship is purely based on the competitor's handling skills, knowledge, and their confident, friendly demeanor. The best showmen are the ones who remain calm and confident and are able to remain relaxed and composed. They are friendly, smile and give eye contact, and thank the judge after their Showmanship routine is finished.

To succeed in Showmanship, there are four very important things you must practice:​1. The actual physical maneuvers of the rabbit on the table. You must be able to flip a rabbit on its back, 1/4 turn it using scruff or shoulder in combination with the hindquarters, and must be able to check every body part. The more you practice, the better you and your rabbit will work together as a team.2. What you say during the routine. On the judging sheet, which is available here, there are certain key terms you should mention. The more of these you memorize and understand the meaning of, the higher you will place.​3. How you behave. Eye contact, smiling, and a confident, clear manner of speaking are all things you can work on to improve.​4. Your knowledge. The judge will ask you some knowledge questions at the end, so it is essential that you have studied a lot. Use the ARBA Standard of Perfection's glossary and breed standards, plus the always-useful Google to learn as much as you can.

To learn how to do Showmanship, join 4-H and find the best rabbit project near you that focuses heavily on showing and Showmanship. They will be able to teach you better than ten-year-old videos on YouTube can.